Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests regarding Census Bureau records are handled through the Policy Coordination Office. The FOIA staff are responsible for reviewing, coordinating, and responding to requests coming to the Census Bureau that request records under the FOIA and Privacy Act (PA).
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides that any person has the right to request access to federal executive branch agency records or information. These federal agencies are required to disclose the records upon receiving a written request. Some records or parts of records may be protected from disclosure by any of the nine exemptions specified by FOIA or three exclusions. The three exclusions, which are rarely used, pertain to especially sensitive law enforcement and national security matters. The Justice Department is the agency responsible for coordinating the administration of the FOIA and encouraging agency compliance with it.
A Privacy Act request allows individuals to gain access to their own personal records (unless the requested records are exempted from disclosure), and to seek correction or amendment of federally maintained records that are inaccurate, incomplete, untimely. Privacy Act requests made to the Census Bureau allows individuals to gain access to records about yourself, and are filed and can be retrieved by your name or personal identifier (Ex. Social Security number).
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552 was enacted in 1966 so that any individual or organization would have access to government records, unless the records are protected by one of nine FOIA Exemptions, or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions. FOIA does not apply to records held by Congress, Federal Courts, state and local governments, private businesses, schools, private organizations, or private individuals.
Request records under the Freedom of Information Act